1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automated systems and methods for preparing samples, such as biological samples. Particular exemplary embodiments relate to processing samples used to determine the presence or absence of human papillomavirus or other conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of processing protocols are used in many different fields of art. Processing protocols are created and followed to help make sure similar items are processed the same way. The use of protocols helps provide consistent processing results and, where the results are not consistent, ensures that the differences are not attributable to variances caused by the processing itself.
Processing protocols are particularly important in the field of analytical biological science, in which biological samples are taken from a subject and processed to diagnose medical conditions, such as the presence or absence of a pathogen or viral infection. In many cases, it can be difficult, burdensome, uncomfortable, or even painful to obtain a sample from the subject, and therefore a high value is placed on taking great care with handling and testing the sample to prevent the need for multiple sample collection procedures. It is also may be desirable to perform as many tests as possible on the sample, and therefore the sample may need to be processed into multiple different sample aliquots to be tested using multiple different protocols. As a result, it is desirable to process as little of the sample as possible, to permit retests and alternative tests of a single collected sample. The desire to use smaller portions of each sample can place even stricter boundaries or requirements on sample processing protocols.
In some cases, analytical protocols may be regulated by government entities. For example, some testing protocols must be approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration before they can be introduced into commercial use. In such cases, the protocol must be followed not only as a matter of sound scientific principles, but also to stay within the scope of government-regulated activities.
One exemplary sample processing protocol is the QIAGEN Hybrid Capture® 2 (“HC2”) nucleic acid hybridization assay. This protocol is used primarily for detecting human papillomavirus (“HPV”) infections. The HC2 assay is an in vitro assay, in which RNA probes are hybridized with target DNA, the RNA:DNA hybrids are captured onto a solid phase, and the captured RNA:DNA hybrids are detected with multiple antibodies conjugated to alkaline phosphatase (a.k.a., signal amplification). The particular chemical and biological details of this process are known in the art and need not be detailed herein. The HC2 assay may be performed manually or through a combination of manual and automated processes. The manual sample preparation protocol for the HC2 assay includes a series of manual steps, which include (in general terms): reagent preparation, sample mixing/aliquoting, pelleting/decanting, denaturing, and transfer. The process begins with a sample collected from a subject and contained in a vial of preservative fluid (e.g., PreservCyt® or SurePath™). The details of the manual HC2 protocol steps, as performed on PreservCyt® samples, follow.
The reagent preparation step begins by adding 5 drops of indicator or dye to a denaturation reagent (“DNR”) causing the DNR to turn dark purple. Next, the specimen transport medium (“STM”) and DNR are combined in a 2:1 ratio and mixed by vortexing.
The sample mixing/aliquoting step is performed by vigorously shaking the PreservCyt® solution vial by hand or using a vortex mixer at maximum speed setting. Immediately after mixing, a volume of the PreservCyt® specimen solution is pipetted and delivered to the bottom of a conical sample processing container. The container is polypropylene, and may be a 10 milliliter Sarstedt conical tube or a 15 milliliter VWR or Corning brand conical tube.
The pelleting/decanting step involves a number of substeps. First, a predetermined amount of sample conversion buffer (e.g., 0.4 milliliters added to 4.0 milliliters of specimen for 1-2 tests per sample for samples in PreservCyt® media) is added to the processing tube, and then the tube is capped and thoroughly mixed using a vortex mixer with a cup attachment. Next, the tube is centrifuged in a swinging bucket rotor at 2,900 (±150)×g for 15 (±2) minutes. Following centrifuging, the operator visually verifies that a pink/orange cell pellet is present in the bottom of the tube. Even if no pellet is detected, the protocol continues, a pellet that is too small to see can still provide a positive test result (however, if there is no visible pellet, a negative test result might be dismissed as a false negative, and such an indeterminate result may require further testing). Next, the supernatant is carefully decanted by inverting the tube and gently blotting (approximately 6 times) on absorbent low-lint paper towels until liquid no longer drips from the tube. Each blot is done on a clean area of the towel. During blotting, the operator observes the tube to ensure that the cell pellet does not slide down the tube.
The denaturing step also includes a number of substeps. The step begins by adding a volume of the STM/DNR mixture (prepared in the reagent preparation step) to the pellet (e.g., 150 microliters of a 2:1 mixture of STM and DNR per 4 milliliter sample). Next, the pellets are resuspended by vortexing the tube. The operator may individually vortex the tube, or vortex it with other tubes on a MST Vortexer 2 machine. In either case, the tube is vortexed for at least 30 seconds at the highest speed setting. If the pellet is difficult to resuspend, it may be vortexed an additional 10-30 seconds or until the pellet floats loose from the bottom of the tube. After vortexing, the tube is placed in a rack, and the rack is placed in a 65° (±2°) Celsius water bath (with sufficient water to cover the liquid in the tube) for 15 (±2) minutes. Next, the tube is removed from the water bath, the exterior is dried, and the tube is vortexed again for 15-30 seconds (or, if it is vortexed on a MST Vortexer 2, for 1 minute) at the highest speed setting. After the second vortexing, the tube is again placed in a rack that is placed in a 65° (±2°) Celsius water bath (with sufficient water to cover the liquid in the tube) for 30 (±3) minutes. Following the second water bath tubes that were vortexed on a MST Vortexer 2 are vortexed once again at maximum speed for 10 seconds. Denaturing occurs during the first and second water bath steps.
The final step is to transfer the prepared specimen for hybridization. In this step, the operator pipettes 75 microliters of the prepared specimen into the bottom of an empty well in a hybridization microwell plate (e.g., a 96 well hybridization plate). After the microwell plate is loaded with specimens and calibrators or quality control samples, the plate is transferred to an automated or manual system for further processing to assess whether the sample is infected with a number of different HPV types (e.g., types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and 68).
The foregoing HC2 protocol is just one example of a sample processing protocol that is used in conjunction with a sample assay process. Other protocols, and particularly manual protocols for preparing a sample in anticipation of further processing or evaluation, are known in the art. In some cases, the protocol is a regulated protocol that is indicated only for particular uses, and should be followed as closely as possible to maintain regulatory compliance.
Many sample processing protocols are specifically designed to be performed partially or entirely by hand. In some cases, the manual steps comprising the protocol may not be readily performed by an automated system. For example, the foregoing HC2 sample preparation protocol includes a number of steps particularly suited to manual operation (e.g., pellet observation, decanting, denaturing). These processes may not be readily-amenable to automated processing of multiple samples. Furthermore, where the protocol is regulated, it may be difficult to simulate the manual steps in an automated environment. Still further, even where a manual protocol is converted to an automated process, there may remain a question of whether the two processes are truly comparable, as numerous innocuous-seeming deviations from the protocol that are required by the automated process may, in fact, substantially affect the final results.
The conversion of manual protocols to automated processes can present many challenges, and numerous unforeseen issues often arise. Such issues require novel and unique solutions to ensure that the automated process is truly comparable to an existing manual protocol.